Shinigami's Challenge
by Terrenis
Summary: I'm Shinigami and I want you to kill me" Duo said...The challenge has been made! Will Wufei accept it? AU, 25; 21; 51
1. The Arrival

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_**Shinigami's Challenge**_

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**By Terrenis-chan**

E-Mail: Terrenis(a)web.de

Part: 1/?

Rating: R

Pairing: 25; 21; 51

Warning: AU, very OOC, shounen-ai, mystery, a little bit of humour, fantasy, lots of samurai sword action, character death...

Summary: The immortal soldier Shinigami wishes to die after a very long life. But unfortunately, he can only die in battle. Will the fighter Wufei fulfil his wish?...

Disclaimer: Unfortunately all bishies and the movie don't belong to me, but to their respective owners. If they were mine, I would be so happy. sighs and sniffs

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Yes, I'm back with another story that popped up in my mind after seeing a great movie. So here are our guest stars:

Shinigami: Duo Maxwell (Who else!)

Fighter: Wufei Chang

Silent Servant: Heero Yui (He's very OOC in this Fic! But I like it to write him this way!)

The Story takes place in old Japan! But enough for now!

Here's Part One!!! Enjoy it!!!

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First...there had been rumours.

Rumours of a young man, who never lost a battle or a fight and who never died.

Many men decided to go and see for themselves if those rumours were true.

But they never came back.

The rumours lasted for many centuries. But the people began to forget the warrior and his existence. No one searched any further for him.

The rumours slowly became a legend.

A legend of the immortal Warrior of Death, also called Shinigami.

But don't people say that there's a little bit of truth in every legend?

oOo

Years passed by quickly. But it was just a heartbeat for the immortal warrior, who waited for the right one, who could fulfil his greatest wish – eternal sleep. Fortunately, this someone was already on his way. But would he do the warrior this favour?

It was a rainy and stormy night in a mountainously area of Japan, when two figures hastily made their way through the dark forest. Both of them hurried through the undergrowth as fast as it was possible for them. The bigger one of them supported the smaller one, who seemed to be injured, since several arrows stuck out of his back.

They hurried further, looking for a suited hiding-place. It was just then, when the bigger person saw a building in front of him. Although he couldn't see clearly because of the rain, he recognized it as an old temple, which seemed abandoned. But maybe they were lucky and someone living there. If that's the case, they'd have the chance to take care of their wounds.

He looked down at his smaller companion. And maybe would he survive.

He sighed and started to move again. The sooner they reached the temple the higher the chance was to shake off their pursuers.

An hour later both men had reached the building. The bigger young man shifted the injured one so that he could knock at the door. He tried it several times, but no one opened. Just when he was ready to give up, he heard a noise from inside the temple.

oOo

Inside the dark temple, a young man in traditional Japanese clothes made his way to the door, from where still a constant knocking could be heard.

Finally he reached it and opened it slowly.

In front of him, two young men were standing, both very drenched and at least one of them heavily injured, according to the arrows, which were sticking in his back.

The young Japanese knew what to do and stepped aside to let the two in. The bigger man tried to carry his injured companion inside, but finally his powers left him and he let his friend fall to the ground. Before collapsing to the ground as well, his eyes rested for a moment on the young Japanese with the brown hair and blue eyes. Then he also lost consciousness.

The Japanese stared at the men on the floor before he closed the door. When it was done, a figure approached him, but stayed in the shadows of the room. It eyed the injured males on the ground and then turned to the Asian.

"Looks like we've got some guests after such a long time! Take care of their injuries and call me when they wake up!" it ordered.

The Japanese bowed and did as the figure had said. The figure looked after the retreating form of his servant with a thoughtful expression.

"I wonder if they will fulfil my wish!" it whispered to himself.

Then he chuckled.

"Well, we'll see!"

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I know it's a short chapter. But I hope you like it nevertheless! Shall I continue? Let me know:

Terrenis(a)web.de

Terrenis-chan


	2. The Awakening

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Wufei woke up with a big headache. It took him several minutes to come around, but then he stopped short, when he looked around. Where the hell was he and where was Trowa? The last thing the young fighter remembered was that he and Trowa had been on the flight from single soldiers of the opponent army and that he has been injured.

That left only one possibility. Somehow they had managed to escape to this building and someone had taken care of them and their wounds.

The young Asian sat slowly up and took the time to take a closer look at his surroundings. He was in a dark room, which was only lighted by a few torches at the wall. Wufei himself sat on a futon bed, which stood in the middle of the room.

Wufei finally stood up and just then realized that he was wearing a clean set of kimono with a Hakama with his katana lying beside him. He really had to thank the one who had taken care of them. Now he had to find Trowa and then the one who lived here.

After taking his sword, he crossed the room and left it, just to find himself standing in a larger room, which was more of a hall. It also looked like the room, in which he had woken up, but was a lot larger. At the wall was something that looked like a gigantic Buddha statue, but then again it wasn't one. It was more like a statue of a strange raging god, looking grimmer because of the thunderstorm outside.

In front of it, several candles were burning.

Suddenly, Wufei heard a noise behind him and spun quickly around, pointing his drawn sword at the source of the noise. But it wasn't an enemy like he had suspected. It was a young Japanese, who seemed to be his age and was wearing black clothing.

Immediately he put his sword back into his scabbard.

"Who are you and where am I?" he asked.

But the other didn't answer. He just looked at a spot behind the Chinese fighter, where a second person was standing. Just then a new voice sounded, this time from behind.

"You must excuse him, but Hee-chan doesn't speak much!"

Again, Wufei whirled around to face the person, to which the new voice belonged. To his surprise it was another young man of his age. He had long brown hair, tied up in a long ponytail by a silver thong and wore a black kimono and over it a richly embroidered, glittering, black and silver Kamishimo.

But his amethyst eyes were the most interesting thing. The samurai had never seen such an eye colour. All in all, he was quite gorgeous in his own way. Wufei was glad that the room was dark so that the other couldn't see the faint blush on his cheeks.

"So you're awake?" the braided young man said with an unreadable expression on his face.

Then...the ghost of a smile graced his lips.

"Well...you must be starving. Hee-chan will fix something to eat for us. Okay, Heero?" he said to the Japanese, who just bowed.

oOo

Later that evening, Wufei and the young man were sitting in the hall, the young man with his back to the statue and Wufei opposite him.

In front of them, several trays stood with various items of food on it.

Wufei stared at it hungrily, but didn't dare to eat something. On the other hand, he also didn't dare to look at the other one. Especially, he tried **not** to stare at the naked legs, which made an interesting sight from out of the young man's kimono.

"You know can eat this! It isn't as if I'd try to poison my guests. Please help yourself!" the latter said and began to eat.

The young samurai took his chopsticks, but before he began to eat as well, he had to ask one more question, which was bothering him the whole time.

"May I know you who are? I'd like to know the name of my rescuer."

His young host looked up from his dinner and Wufei shuddered, having those piercing eyes directed at him again.

"Not yet. But you can call me Duo until the time is right to say you my real name." he said und turned his attention back to the food.

Wufei raised an eyebrow questioningly, but didn't say anything further. Finally he also started to eat.

The food really tasted excellent, a real change to the spare meals, which he usually had eaten during a war. Wufei couldn't help but digging in further and further. It tasted way too good.

"It's very good!" he said. full of surprise.

"I know!" Duo said and continued to eat while watching the other one.

When both young men had finished their meals, they sat there in uncomfortable silence. Finally, Wufei broke it.

"I thank you for your help, but I still don't know how my friend is!"

"Oh, you mean the one who brought you here?" Duo asked.

Wufei nodded.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I couldn't help him! I did what I could but his wounds were far too deep. You were both half-death when you arrived here and I could only help one of you! I'm really sorry!" the braided young man replied, taking a sip of his Sake.

Wufei was really shocked. He couldn't believe it. Trowa was dead? Trying not to cry, he lowered his head, not letting the other see his misery.

"I see!" he whispered and gulped down the whole Sake in one draught.

After he had calmed down a little, he took a deep breath and faced Duo again.

"I'm sorry, but I have no family and he was like a brother to me!"

"I understand! War is cruel to everyone." Duo replied.

Wufei nodded agreeing, still a little bit shocked.

"Where is he?" he asked Duo.

"Well...I cleaned his body, changed his kimono and laid him in another room."

"You really did? That's one more thing I must thank you for!"

But Duo just waved off.

"Don't let it concern you! It wasn't a big effort for me!"

Again, silence fell over the room. Only the sound of the thunderstorm outside could be heard. Wufei poured himself more sake in his small glass and drank it. Then he let his eyes wander over the statue in front of him.

"I've never seen a temple like this before. Are you its priest?" the Chinese asked.

Duo suddenly began to laugh.

"Oh no! A few years ago, I stumbled over this place. It was rather derelict. Since not many people come this deep into the mountains and I really don't get along well with them, I found this the perfect place to live in."

"I see! And what about your servant?"

"You mean Hee-chan? He was already here for years! But what are you going to do now?"

The young samurai threw a puzzled look at Duo.

"Now?"

"Yes!"

Wufei lowered his head again.

"I don't know. I have nowhere to go. But I'll take Trowas body to his home. At least he has a home and that's the only way I can mourn him." He said, having the sudden urge to leave this place.

He got up and bowed politely.

"Thank you so much for everything. I have to leave."

Just when he turned, Duo held him back.

"What's the hurry? The enemy will be looking for you on the road you came and you certainly won't get far in this storm! To the west is a sheer cliff. You could go it down, but in this rain, it might collapse. So here's my suggestion for your own good: You can rest the night and tomorrow we'll see further. I have few guests here and I'm glad to have someone to drink with me after so long.

I know, considering your friend that this is not an auspicious encounter, but perhaps this, too, is some kind of destiny. So let's drink the night away and sit vigil for your friend. Tomorrow you're free to leave! What do you think?"

Wufei looked at Duo, while considering the possibilities. He could go now, get drenched, fall off a cliff, or worse, get captured by the enemy. Or he could stay, get drunk and leave tomorrow. Well, that wasn't an easy question.

"Well, then...I'll take you up on that! You have my thanks!" he said, sitting down on the floor again.

"No, you have mine...! I promise...We'll make a night of it." Duo replied with a mad glint in his eyes.

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Yes, the first chapter is ready! I'm really sorry for killing Trowa off, but it was necessary for the sake of the story! Next update hopefully next week! Hope you like it! Shall I continue? Let me know:

Terrenis(a)web.de

Terrenis-chan


	3. The Challenge

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So here are our guest stars:

Shinigami: Duo Maxwell (Who else!)

Fighter: Wufei Chang

Silent Servant: Heero Yui (He's very OOC in this Fic! But I like it to write him this way!)

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A few minutes later, both young men were sitting there, where they had been before, waiting for the Japanese, whom Duo had called Hee-chan. He returned with two glasses and a carafe, filled with a rose-coloured liquid.

Heero knelt down and set the glasses in front of them, one for each young man. Then he opened the carafe and filled the first glass with the liquid. The first glass, he gave to Wufei, the second to Duo. After that, he left them alone again.

Wufei took his glass and took a closer look, since he never had seen something like this before. Then he sniffed at the liquid inside. It smelled sweet, but also alcoholic.

Wufei looked questioningly at his host.

"What kind of alcohol is this?" he asked.

Duo chuckled and took a sip.

"It's a drink called wine and comes from a land called France. It's made from grapes. Try it. It's good!"

The young swordsman looked sceptically, not sure how to hold the glass and to drink out of it. Imitating again, he sniffed again and took also a sip. It didn't taste as bad as he had expected.

"And how is it?" Duo asked.

"It tastes strange...but good!" Wufei replied.

"Isn't it? You can drink more if you want!"

"No, not yet! I still have some!" Wufei said and took another gulp, to hide his sudden nervousness.

Emptying the glass, he put it down on the floor and faced Duo again.

"I've never drunk something like this before. This and this temple... it's all new to me! Is this all from foreign lands?"

The braided young man, who had already drunk his third glass of wine, smiled at him.

"Yes. I've been travelling a lot, before I stumbled over this temple!"

"And what about this Buddha statue? Is it foreign, too? It has a strange face."

Duo turned round for a moment and threw a look at the statue, before turning his attention back to his guest.

"Oh, this... Well, I must say that this is my own work! I can proudly say that I carved it myself."

"Really? It's quite something!" Wufei said astonished.

"Yup! If you live here all alone, you have plenty of time to kill! But to say honestly, it's not the statue of a god, but more a carving of my humble self!"

"Oh!"

"But I really want to ask you an extremely important question! Does it look like me? I know it sounds strange but I really need to know this." He said, clapping his hands together cheerfully all of a sudden.

Wufei raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He just glanced back and forth between the statue and Duo, trying not to laugh when this one made a face to look like his statue.

"And?" Duo asked impatiently.

"Now that you mention it...There's a certain similarity, which I can't deny." The swordsman said.

Duo began to smile and then began to laugh, Wufei soon joining in.

"Well...Thank you. How about another glass of wine?" he replied.

The black-haired young man nodded and Duo poured him another glass. He was about to drink, when it thundered again. Looking uneasy, Wufei took another sip.

"It's a very heavy rain. Is the weather here often like this?"

"Yes, but it should stop by tomorrow. The mountain roads are dangerous and I don't know if you have heard of it, but there's a legend about this area, people tell each other!"

Suddenly, Wufei was very interested.

"A Legend? What kind of legend?"

Duo leaned a little bit forward before he continued to speak:

"They say that a Tengu is haunting these mountains!"

"A Tengu?"

Duo nodded. Wufei didn't know why but he suddenly remembered an old story which he had heard several years ago.

"I think I know what you mean! Do you mean this mountain ghost who haunts the forest, who seizes men to eat? This Tengu?"

"Yes, the very same. The Tengu rules the mountain. He hears the drop of a pin. He sees a thousand leagues. He scents the difference between a man's blood and a beast's and he eats only flesh. But Tengu is just a name that people have given him over the century. In reality, he's Shinigami, the Raging Warrior of Death."

Wufei, while listening to Duo's speech and drinking his second glass, hadn't noticed how Duo's expression had changed during his speech. But now he had become curious and nodded.

"You seem to know this well! But isn't something as dangerous as this a threat to the temple?"

Duo chuckled.

"Not really. Because this Shinigami..."

He paused a moment to get a better sitting position.

"...is me!"

There was a long moment of silence, in which Wufei stared at his host, as if he had gone mad, before he started to laugh and Duo joined in.

"Very funny! A really good joke! You really had me there!" he gasped, not noticing that Duo had stopped laughing long before.

When Wufei had calmed down, he emptied his glass and faced Duo again.

"Sorry, sorry! But the Tengu legend is real."

"I don't know...Even if he would appear here, you look like you could defend yourself easily." Wufei replied.

"What about you? To survive a battle with such deep wound...I'm sure more than a few men have fallen before you. Tell me – how many have you killed until now?" Duo asked carefully, but also demanding.

Wufei suddenly found the floor of the temple very interesting. He hadn't expected this kind of question from his host and he surely wasn't in the mood to answer it.

"That's none of your business! By the way, to count them would be in very bad taste!" he growled.

"So you kill men in uncounted numbers and forget? Shouldn't you remember the lives you take? I've killed 795. I remember everything – their shape, their voice, the last look on their face, everything!" Duo said, his challenging voice becoming louder and louder with every word.

They cut into Wufei's soul like a sharp sword and his urge to get away from this strange temple and this strange soldier become stronger and stronger. But the swordsman tried to pull himself together and change the subject.

"May I see my friend?" he asked, turning his face away from Duo.

But Duo didn't listen to him. He took a deep breath and suddenly his expression was replaced by another. The expression of a demonic warrior.

"He scents the difference between a man's blood and a beast's...Oh yes, I smell it. I can smell it very clearly! You reek of blood!" he hissed.

"ENOUGH! YOU'RE DRUNK!" Wufei roared and jumped up. "It's better if I go now! I'll come back and thank you properly.

"Oh, will you? I don't think so. I'd like you to do that NOW!!!" Duo growled.

Wufei stopped short and turned his head.

"What do you want me to do?"

Duo smirked devilishly at the swordsman.

"I want you to kill me!"

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Tengu Japanese Mountain ghost

Yes, the challenge has been made! Will Wufei accept it or will he not? We'll see in the next part of "Shinigami's Challenge". Hope you like it! Shall I continue? Let me know:

Terrenisweb.de

Terrenis-chan


	4. The First Fight

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Wufei whirled around and stared at Duo as if he had grown a second head. Duo, on the other side, still smirked at him.

"What did you say?" the swordsman asked.

"Oh, I think you heard right! I WANT YOU TO KILL ME!!!" the braided young man growled loudly.

Wufei could barely resist the sudden urge to storm out of this temple on the spot. Only the noise of the thunderstorm outside and the thought of being captured by his enemies seemed to hold him back. Although on the other hand, trapped in here alone with a madman....was that so much better?

"You are mad! Really!" he replied with a shaky voice.

Duo chuckled.

"Maybe I am. But I have lived for so long now and I'm really tired now. "

Then he became serious again.

"So, will you kill me?"

"Tell me one good reason, why I should do this!"

The braided young man fixed Wufei with his amethyst eyes. This one had the feeling as if his host tried to see into his soul.

"It's because you're in my debt! I've been waiting so long for the one, who will grant me death. But unfortunately it's not easy for me to die, because only a man worthy of the deed can cut me down!"

"That's crazy! Why would I kill the man who saved my live?" Wufei shouted.

"That's why I ask! Like I said before, you're in my debt and you have to kill me!" Duo shouted back.

The swordsman had enough.

"Will you stop this nonsense? I certainly will not kill you! Besides, you look like a normal man to me and not like a Tengu or this Shinigami!" Wufei yelled.

"Not all is what it seems! Not even a man! One with a saintly face can betray you, one with an innocent face can be a prostitute and one with an evil face can be good!"

The black-haired young man pondered over this. Duo had said there a few things, which could be right.

"Okay, let's say you're really this Shinigami! Why should I kill you? I just want to see my friend! NOW!!!" he growled again.

But Duo ignored his little outburst.

"I tell you why! You're a swordsman! You have a duty to accept my challenge!"

"Why do I have the duty to fight the man who saved my life?" Wufei yelled once more.

Wufei's host chuckled and then looked at the swordsman with a devilish expression on his face.

"It's because I let your friend die, when he could have been saved."

oOo

"You did What?!" Wufei whispered, his eyes wide open with shock.

He wasn't completely sure if he had gotten the last sentence right. But according to the still smirking young man, he certainly had heard right. This one just rolled his eyes.

"God, are you deaf or why do I always have to repeat myself? And YES – I LET HIM DIE!!!"

This time, Wufei had heard him.

"Why?" he asked quietly.

It was just a single question, but the swordsman had to know the answer.

"When you arrived here, you were both on the brink to death. I just chose between the two of you, who would have the honour to fight against me. I decided that you would be the One, since I saw something in you, which your friend didn't have. Just in case you didn't notice, but you're not, who you were, when you arrived here!"

Wufei just looked furiously at his host.

"What do you mean?" he finally asked.

Duo stretched his limbs a little and then leaned backwards.

"Well, you really didn't notice? Just think about! Isn't it strange? When you came here two days ago, you had four arrows sticking in you and thirteen deep sword wounds. Your wounds had festered and you had a high fever. And now? But see it for yourself!" Duo gestured, while drinking the rest of his wine.

Wufei had a strange feeling all of a sudden. Only now he remembered that he really had felt no pain since he had woken up a few hours ago. But that was impossible, according to the wounds of which he knew he had had them. The strange feeling suddenly overwhelmed him and he found himself tearing at the part of his kimono, which covered the upper part of his body.

But as soon as he had opened it, the swordsman was shocked by what he saw. He had expected the sight of a bloody bandage or something similar. But there was nothing. Just smooth, silky skin without any scars or sign of a wound. It was as if he had never been wounded.

"What did you do to me?" he whispered.

Duo just grinned and Wufei finally lost his patience. He stormed forwards and grabbed the braided young man by his kimono collar.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME? TELL ME! NOW!" the swordsman screamed right into Duo's face.

Duo just laughed at Wufei. But then he raised his right hand and began to caress Wufei's cheek.

"That's my secret. But just let me say that I couldn't let you die." He whispered in the swordsman's ear, causing Wufei to blush faintly.

But he pulled himself together quickly. Growling, he pushed Duo back on the floor, finally letting go of the collar. Then he jumped up and ran to the opposite side of the room. He paced up and down for a few seconds, as if trying to calm himself down. Duo eyed him amused, knowing what would come now.

Finally, Wufei stopped his pacing. He had made a decision. Drawing his katana out of its scabbard, he gripped it tightly and looked at the braided young man, a furious expression on his face.

"You Bastard!" he spat out.

Then he attacked with a loud scream.

oOo

Duo grinned at the sight of the attacking swordsman. This was it, what he had been waiting for. Now the fun could begin.

oOo

Wufei stormed forwards with his drawn katana in his hand and let it rush down, trying to hit Duo. But unfortunately his blade only hit the woodened floor and before he had another try, he felt the cold steel of a second blade at his neck and he didn't dare to move again. Duo had drawn his own sword and quickly positioned it near the swordsman's jugular vein.

"Nice Try, but you have to be a little bit faster next time! I really understand you, but we got all night for this. So...how about another drink first?" he said cheerfully and put his katana back into the scabbard.

But Wufei didn't want another drink. All, he wanted now, was vengeance. As soon as Duo had taken his sword back from his throat, he started another attack at him

He dropped several blows towards Duo's head, but this one avoided them easily. When Wufei started another blow, there was suddenly a strange rushing and Duo had disappeared, only reappear behind Wufei's back without him knowing. The swordsman was perplexed by the sudden disappearance and turned carefully around, only to notice the other young man behind him.

There was a moment of shock before Wufei attacked anew. Only this time, Duo blocked the blow with the handle of his katana, who had a dragon wing-like decoration on it, which parried Wufei's blow. The swordsman was thrown back on the floor where he stayed. But only for a moment.

Then came an anew, now more desperate attack.

This time the blades clashed against each other and small flashes appeared, when the steel of them touched each other hardly. When Duo tried to hit him at the arm, Wufei managed to grip the blade with both hands. Turning it around and facing his opponent, he shivered at the dark, cold expression on Duo's face. It was so different from the one, which Duo had had before.

Still dripping the sword blade, Wufei found it hard to keep it that way. The other one seemed to have some sort of supernatural strength and the blade was slowly slicing into his flesh. The swordsman could already see a trail of blood, which trickling down his arms.

But then Wufei managed to do a little wonder. Somehow he suddenly got the strength to overpower Duo and flung him towards the direction of the statue. The braided young man whirled through the air, his kimono robes rustling around his body, and landed safely on his feet.

"I must say I'm impressed. But I'm afraid it's not good enough to beat me!" Duo hissed.

He dodged when Wufei started another attack. Duo then easily took the tip of Wufei's sword with one hand and grinned, looking at the blade.

"What are you?" Wufei asked.

But Duo didn't answer, but began suddenly to inspect Wufei's sword.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I don't think your sword will make it through the night! The blade is about to snap!" he said and then...

Then he flung Wufei aside, as if he were a feather. The swordsman crashed right into one of the walls and stayed lying there for a minute, gasping for air and gripping his hurting ribs. After recovering and getting up, he took position again, raising his katana above his head.

Duo just looked amused, when Wufei slowly came nearer, fear shining in his black eyes.

"Well, this looks like it could be fun. But the night is still young, so let's take our time!" he said, turning around.

Just then Wufei stormed forwards for a last try. But he didn't come far. Shortly, before he reached Duo, he barely heard the drawing of a sword and the next thing he realized was the incredible pain in his abdomen.

Wufei slowly looked down and stared incredibly at Duo's katana, which going right through his stomach. He really had underestimated the man who called himself Shinigami.

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Now the action really starts. But will Wufei survive this injury or not? Will the fight continue? We'll see in the next part of "Shinigami's Challenge". Hope you like it! Shall I continue? Let me know:

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Terrenis-chan


	5. The Challenge accepted

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Wufei stared in utter horror at the sword blade that went through his abdomen, while he still held his own sword above his head, ready to strike. Looking up, the swordsman saw Duo standing there with his back turned to him. He couldn't believe that he had made the mistake to underestimate his host.

There was a quiet slippery sound when Duo retrieved his katana out of Wufei's body. Just then the swordsman fell hard on his knees and he could feel some blood oozing out of his mouth, grimacing in pain. The pain in his stomach was almost unbearable, but it faded slowly to a strange numbness. So this was it how it felt like, when it was time to die.

Wufei's only regret was that he wasn't able to die together with Trowa anymore like they had sworn a long time ago. He coughed up more blood and waited for his final breath.

"Oi, you're alright?" it came suddenly from Duo's side.

If he had been able to, Wufei would have been laughed at this question. Instead he glared at Duo, who was looking at him with mixture from unbelieving, amusement and concern.

"You can stop acting as if you're going to die! It wasn't even a lethal wound, just a scratch! So give it a rest!" Duo said.

Wufei snorted. How could the other say something like that? Duo wasn't the one with a lethal wound in his stomach.

But then he noticed something really interesting, when he looked at his hands. There wasn't a single spot of blood on it. Checking the part of his body, where the injury should have been, Wufei got another shock. Duo had been right. There wasn't an injury. But how could that be? He had felt the blade when it had gone through his abdomen.

"How...?" he asked.

Duo just chuckled.

"I'll explain later. But you aren't immortal!" he said and pointed his blade at Wufei's neck...

"Your head..."

...then at Wufei's upper body.

"...or your heart can kill you!"

Smiling, he put his sword suddenly back into its scabbard and relaxed.

"We still have the rest of the night to discuss this. Well, I personally feel like having another drink. Care to join me?" he asked.

Wufei, who had really gotten a fright, just nodded dumbly and got up.

oOo

A few minutes later, both of them were sitting exactly there, where they had been before. Only this time, Wufei was constantly glaring at his host, while fidgeting.

Heero had returned with another carafe, this time filled with a clear liquid, and two smaller glasses. As before, he filled the glasses and put one in front of each young man. But instead of leaving, he remained there, where he was.

Duo took his glass and took a small sip. Clicking his tongue, he set it down, when he was ready.

"Ah, there's nothing better than this. By the way, this delicacy is called vodka and comes from a land called Russia. It's from corn. But be careful! It's very strong."

But Wufei ignored his own glass. There was this important question, which was burning in his mind since the end of their first fight.

"Why am I not dead?" he growled quietly.

"Take it easy! Let's drink something first and then we can discuss this!" Duo replied cheerfully.

"Are you nuts? Do you really expect me to just sit around and drink?"

The braided young man suddenly shot the swordsman a glare that clearly said 'yes, this is exactly what I expect'. This shut Wufei up for a moment and he waited impatiently until Duo was done with his drink. The swordsman himself hadn't touched his until now, because he simply didn't feel like becoming drunk right now.

Finally, Duo was ready and eyed his person opposite.

"So you really want to know the reason why you are not dead?"

"YES! I WANT TO KNOW IT...NOW! DAMN IT!" Wufei almost shouted.

Duo chuckled and leaned a little bit forward.

"It was what you ate!" he whispered into Wufei's ear.

This one looked bewildered at the two young men.

"Are you kidding me? How can something I ate be responsible for my current condition? Unless you're suggesting that every food can make someone invincible?" he snapped then.

The braided bishounen laughed again.

"Oh please...don't be silly! It's not like that or else everyone would be like you. No, no, no...All that matters is the proper way of preparation. See, no two cooks can make the same thing the same way. Just look at Hee-chan. He's a good cook. An excellent one, if I might say." He said, gesturing slightly at the Japanese beside him.

Wufei huffed and then also glared at Heero.

"Are you a demon, too?" He growled at him.

But the brown-haired Asian ignored Wufei's comment and stayed silent, while Duo continued to speak.

"You're funny, do you know that? Well...Let us just say that Hee-chan has his special abilities, when it comes to cooking. But I must really admit that he's more devil than I am and I'm really jealous of that. Oh, by the way...Could you kill him, too?"

Wufei felt a twitch coming to his left eye. Looking back and forth between the two, he started anew shooting death glares at the two of them, Duo and Heero, who was also smirking now.

"You're both mental!" he growled.

Now he really needed a drink. The fighter grabbed his glass and before Duo could warn him, he gulped the whole vodka down at one swallow, an action, which he regretted almost instantly. As soon as he had drunken the schnapps, he began to cough and gasp for air. The liquid burned on his tongue and his throat, so that Wufei had to stick out his tongue to get some fresh air. This action, on the other hand, sent Duo and Heero into several fits of laughter.

"Whaf fis?" Wufei lisped, unable to speak more clearly.

"I told you this is strong stuff!" Duo replied, while giggling on.

That was too much for the poor fighter. He had no idea what kind of cruel game Duo was playing, but it was enough to bring him on the edge of a small nervous breakdown.

"What do you want from me? Why are you doing this to me?" he shouted, almost in tears.

Duo sighed again. This human was so slow-minded.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I want to die? Or do you think it is fun to watch other people grow older, live their lives and finally die, while your own body never grows old? Fighting is my only reason to live. I'd always hoped I'd meet someone stronger someday, but now I'm tired of waiting."

"Why don't you cut your stomach open then? Don't ask me to kill you!" Wufei yelled.

The longhaired boy raised an eyebrow.

"You mean Hara-kiri? Oh please! That's something mortals do from excessive self-respect and stupid pride. And since I am without any fault, so why should I do that? Besides, I'm Shinigami, the God of Death and was born to die in Battle. So I can't be cut down by some backwoods samurai! I will die when I encounter the One."

This time it was the swordsman to raise his eyebrows.

"Do you know what? Nothing you say makes any sense at all! It's absurd!" he growled.

"So it's absurd? Then let me ask you. Do mortals make sense? You kill each other by the thousand, just because some shabby politician started a war for his own profit. Isn't it the reason, why you're her and your friend is dead? Isn't that absurd? Listen, the existence of this whole world is absurd."

These words seemed to hit one of Wufei's nerves, because he stayed silent for a moment.

"Alright then, why did you choose me and not him?" he finally asked.

Duo giggled suddenly and hid his mouth behind his hand.

"Well, I chose you, because you were cuter!"

The black-haired swordsman's bulged at these words.

"W...What?"

"You've heard right. Maybe it was an egoistic part of me, who did this. But I always preferred opponents with a certain amount of beauty, combined with talent of course. So consider yourself lucky and take this unique chance. If I were you, I'd make the best of it."

Wufei just stared in utter horror at him.

"You're crazy! You can't just bring people here and then kill them, just because they aren't beautiful enough. That's nothing but plain murder." He hissed and let himself fall back on the floor.

"If you say so...!" Duo replied, serious again.

Then there was only a swishing sound and silence after the sound was gone. There was a long moment of silence between the two of them, before Duo spoke again:

"So do you think it's just plain murder? But what if I told you that not all the ones I killed were people!"

Wufei sighed again.

"What do you mean with "they weren't"?" he asked and got up again.

But to his great surprise, Duo was gone. Astonished and alarmed at once, he looked around the room, but didn't see anyone except Heero. But then he heard a slurping noise from behind and above. Slowly turning round, he finally spotted the other one. Duo was sitting comfortably on a beam under the roof, his glass and the bottle of vodka in his hand, and drank on. Wufei was so surprised that he immediately jerked back.

"You want to know what I mean! Fine, I'll tell you then! Sometimes, demons or goblins look like humans. There are beings in the world that are beyond imagination. They made me realize that I wasn't human, too...That I am Shinigami!" he said.

The black-haired swordsman raised an eyebrow.

"Demons, goblins, Shinigami. I really don't know what you're talking about. It rather sounds like a bad fairy tale!"

"As I told you, the world often isn't what it seems. Many, who look human, aren't so at all. Warriors, who defeat vast numbers of the enemy. Miraculous survivors of diseases or accidents. People say they're lucky, but that's not it. They're human, but then again they're not!"

"Ah, I get it! So if you're Shinigami, then maybe I am, too!" Wufei said, followed by that swishing noise again.

"Possible!" Duo answered, causing Wufei to jerk back again.

It was because Duo was back, lying relaxed on the ground in front of him, and Wufei, again, had been too surprised to notice it. But he caught himself quickly.

"You're lying! Neither of us looks anything other than human."

"Some birds fly high up in the sky, but some never leave the ground. It's not strange that humans come in different forms. My being here is proof of existence beyond what is known."

"I don't see any difference!"

"I understand you. I used to think I was human, too. I went looking for battles ever since I was born. And I fought lots of men. But no one beat me. I couldn't help but wondering why I was so strong. In time, I became feared and no one had the guts to face me in a fair fight anymore. That's why I retired to this place and waited for a suited opponent. And here you are.

From the moment I took a first look at you, I knew you had the talent and, hopefully, the courage to challenge me for this last battle. But it seems that I was wrong. You can go if you like." Duo said with a serious and almost sad expression on his face.

His words seemed to have hit a nerve. The braided young man could almost see Wufei's sudden internal battle. This one had a hard time. Should he go or should he really accept this unique challenge? His internal battle went on for many minutes, before he finally made a decision.

Wufei's face became serious and he looked at the young man, who called himself Shinigami and whose face now was only lighted by the moon outside.

"You're absolutely right! I shouldn't throw a chance like this away. Besides, I've already died once."

His gaze became burning.

"I accept your challenge." He said quietly.

This time, Duo smiled a real smile.

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Yes, he finally accepted the challenge. But how will this battle turn out? We'll see in the next part of "Shinigami's Challenge". Hope you like it! Shall I continue? Let me know:

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Terrenis-chan


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